Where to Find Charlotte'south Best Barbecue

Barbecue is more than a noun — it'south a fashion of life. Whether you prefer whole hog or pork shoulder, burnt ends or brisket or perchance some smoked wings with a few racks of ribs in between, this comprehensive list of Charlotte-expanse barbecue joints is certain to fire upwardly your craving for stellar local 'cue.

by Charlie Leonard

Bar-B-Q King - Photography by Eric Gaddy

Bar-B-Q King

Neighborhood: West Charlotte

A Due west Charlotte treasure since 1959, Bar-B-Q Rex notwithstanding serves barbecue sandwiches curbside. Desire that authentic park-and-eat experience? Don't exit until you've demolished an order of their famous Bar-B-Q fried chicken, which comes dunked in barbecue sauce. This drool-worthy dish even made a national TV cameo when Guy Fieri and the crew from Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" came to town.
Claim to Fame: Bar-B-Q fried craven

Big Tiny's BBQ

Area: Mooresville

When they moved to Mooresville, owners John and Elizabeth Maddox brought their Texas roots and love for charcoal-broil with them. Later on 25 years in racing, John decided it was fourth dimension to hang up his helmet and put on his apron to go a pitmaster specializing in mesquite-style smoked meats. The couple opened Large Tiny'south (named after their tardily dog, Tiny) in downtown Mooresville in 2016, serving up what'south been dubbed "dog gone proficient BBQ."
Claim to fame: Chopped brisket sandwich

Blueish Bar & Smokehouse

Area: Fort Mill, South.C.

This local, fast-coincidental charcoal-broil joint in Fort Mill, South Carolina, is all about the smoke: smoked wings (with 8 sauces to choose from), smoked brisket, smoked pork, smoked chicken and more. Joining the Charlotte area barbecue lineup in belatedly 2020, Blue Bar & Smokehouse serves up fresh barbecue, a full bar, live music and Southern hospitality.
Claim to fame: Brisket burger

Bobbee O's BBQ

Neighborhood: Northward Charlotte

Originally from Rowland, North Carolina, Bob Roberts always loved helping his mom in the kitchen. His love of cooking carried on through adulthood, at which point he started perfecting his barbecue and homemade sauce techniques. While yous tin't go wrong with any of the choices at Bobbee O's BBQ, the pulled pork is the about pop because information technology truly puts the spotlight on the sauce. The focus is plumbing fixtures; the spot's slogan is, "It'southward all in the sauce!"
Claim to fame: The sauce

The Improper Grunter

Neighborhood: S Charlotte and Fort Mill, S.C.

Get out your regional barbecue debates at the door and become a barbecue explorer at The Improper Pig, where fusion barbecue is celebrated. The menu combines classic Carolina-style pork and St. Louis-way ribs with new influences, like Pork Rolls (aka Southern-style egg rolls), Chow Bao Sliders with barbecue meat, Asian slaw and Hoisin sauce, and even the vegetarian No Pig sandwich, made with a hickory forest grilled portobello mushroom.
Merits to fame: Vegetarian options

Jim 'North Nick's Bar-B-Q

Area: Steele Creek, Agree and Indian Land, South.C.

Jim 'Northward Nick's Bar-B-Q started smoking pork in 1985 when father-son duo Jim and Nick Pihakis reclaimed an onetime pizza parlor in Birmingham, Alabama. Today, there are nearly 40 Jim 'North Nick's Bar-B-Q locations across seven states. At each, the local owners, cooks and pitmasters are taught the Pihakis' recipes, techniques and flavors of Southern charcoal-broil. The menu focuses on a diverseness of low-and-slow smoked meats, including classic pulled pork and chicken, beef brisket, turkey breast, pork hot links and baby back ribs.
Claim to fame: Pulled pork and craven (and the popular cheese biscuits)

Kyle Fletcher's BBQ & Catering

Area: Gastonia

Nestled on the side of Wilkinson Boulevard in Gastonia, Kyle Fletcher's BBQ & Catering serves juicy western North Carolina-style pork and other favorites like fried balogna sandwiches and crispy onion rings. Kyle Fletcher's regularly wins Best of Gaston awards and, if you're a North Carolina Tar Heels basketball fan, you'll love their interior decked out in memorabilia.
Merits to fame: Western Northward Carolina-manner pork and a side of onion rings

Mac's Speed Shop

Neighborhood: S End, Steele Creek, Matthews and Cornelius

Named later on a man who used to work in the sometime transmission shop now home to the South Boulevard location, Mac's Speed Store serves smoky pulled pork, dry-rubbed beef brisket and a menu total of distinctive Southern fare. Pair your pulled pork with a side of cold craft beer: the homegrown chain boasts more than than sixty beers on tap and even sponsors a beer club.
Claim to fame: Dry out-rubbed beef brisket

McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon

Neighborhood: LoSo

McKoy's Smokehouse & Saloon is a true family unit operation, correct downwardly to its proper name. The moniker pays homage to McKoy Register, begetter of co-owner Namon Register and grandfather of co-owners Ryan and Jim Annals. The spot serves upwardly award-winning St. Louis-fashion ribs, smokehouse wings and other charcoal-broil mainstays with a side of service that makes guests feel like they're dining in McKoy's home.
Claim to fame: St. Louis-style ribs

Midwood Smokehouse - Photography by Cody Hughes

Midwood Smokehouse

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, Montford, Huntersville and Ballantyne

Restaurateur Frank Scibelli toured barbecue joints throughout Texas, picking upward invaluable tips before debuting his pop concept, Midwood Smokehouse, in Charlotte. The cooks on Midwood'south culinary team each attend a professional brisket school where they acquire the tricks of the trade (including how to burn hickory logs 24 hours a mean solar day) to slow-smoke the restaurant'south Texas-style brisket and burnt ends.
Claim to fame: Brisket and burnt ends

Noble Smoke - Photography by Kate Magee

Noble Smoke

Neighborhood: Wesley Heights, Optimist Park

Noble Fume is the dream come to life of longtime restaurateur Jim Noble. Noble owns popular Charlotte locales Rooster'due south and The King's Kitchen, just this Southern barbecue joint has been part of his long-term plans for more than 25 years. Housed in a former truck maintenance facility on Freedom Drive and with a food stall at Optimist Hall, Noble Fume pays tribute to the pitmaster legends that inspired Noble and his beloved of smoked meat.
Merits to fame: Chopped Cheshire pork with western or eastern slaw

The Q Shack

Neighborhood: South Charlotte

If y'all're on the mission for pork in a pinch, look no further than The Q Shack, a fast-coincidental go-to in the Promenade on Providence shopping middle. The chain, tucked into an upscale strip mall, will satisfy your 'cue cravings with its popular hickory-smoked pulled pork sandwich or chile-rubbed beef brisket.
Claim to fame: Hickory-smoked pulled pork

R&R Bar-B-Que

Expanse: Concord

Bob Critz and Rob Emore share more than merely a name; they also share a beloved for true eastern North Carolina-style vinegar-based barbecue. With a shared initial and a eating place located next to railroad tracks, R&R Bar-B-Que opened in 1998 and has been serving upward eastern-fashion 'cue with all the fixins e'er since.
Merits to fame: Eastern-Carolina manner, vinegar-based barbecue

Ray's Country Smokehouse-Grill

Surface area: Gastonia

Charcoal-broil is king at Ray's Country Smokehouse-Grill, a Gastonia mainstay for smoky goodness. Serving old-schoolhouse smoked barbecue and traditional sides, the restaurant boasts enough of pig to pair with its tasty, homemade vinegar-based sauce. Not in the mood for pork but want the charcoal-broil feel? Lodge one of Ray's nigh praised dishes: a hearty plate of beefiness brisket and zesty potato salad.
Claim to fame: A homemade vinegar-based sauce

RayNathan's

Area: Gastonia

Similar existence greeted with warm hospitality and the olfactory property of smoked meats as y'all walk in the door? You'll instantly feel at home when yous stop by RayNathan's in Gastonia. Endemic by friends Stephen Carroll and Thomas Blanding, who originally met working in restaurants as teens, RayNathan'southward is their dream of more than than 20 years come to life. With a focus on hardwood-smoked meats, scratch-made sides and an quondam-school Delta dejection vibe, this must-endeavour barbecue destination is all nearly its people, pork and popular banana pudding.
Claim to fame: Stephen'southward brisket sandwich

R.O.'s Bar-B-Cue

Area: Gastonia

A Gastonia establishment for 75 years, R.O.'south Bar-B-Cue was the brainchild of R.O. and Pearl Blackness in the 1940s and became famous for its barbecue sandwiches, sauce and slaw. Pearl came upwards with the hole-and-corner slaw recipe that'due south still used today and sold wholesale through R.O.'s Distributing Company. You'll also detect 2 R.O.'southward mobile units around the area serving all the favorites including pork sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, burgers and more. The old-fashioned restaurant offers drive-in, dine-in and curbside service, then you tin can get your 'cue fix the way you lot prefer.
Claim to fame: Slaw sandwich

The Smoke Pit

Area: Concord, Monroe, Gastonia and Salisbury

Serving Texas-style barbecue in Northward Carolina, The Fume Pit'southward four Charlotte-expanse locations serve upwardly flavorful meat tedious-cooked for 18 hours over local hickory wood. Massive portions, flavorful meats and artistic, scratch-made sides — remember deviled egg potato salad and smoked pork charcoal-broil beans — have garnered the diner a loyal following.
Claim to fame: Deviled egg potato salad

Sweet Lew's BBQ

Neighborhood: Belmont

This 450-square-foot service-station-turned-smoke-shack in the Belmont neighborhood is churning out authentic Carolina charcoal-broil dull-smoked over a blend of hickory, pecan and peach forest. The concept from owners Lewis Donald and Laura Furman Grice transports guests back to the small Southern barbecue joints that you'd happen upon on an old country route. The menu is elementary: meats, sides, drinks and desserts, plus philharmonic platters and meat by the pound until the meat runs out.
Merits to fame: fifteen-hour beef brisket

Charlie Leonard is a Charlotte-area native with an in-depth knowledge of all things civilization. As an App Country grad, he loves outdoor activities similar skiing, hiking, and golfing. You can as well grab him reading a practiced book, watching the best Idiot box and movies, or watching his beloved Panthers, Hornets, Hurricanes, and App State Mountaineers dominate their contest.